1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air seeders and more specifically it relates to an air seeder singulation system for evenly dispensing seed amongst a plurality of rows during planting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air seeders have been in use for years. Typically, the seed is stored within a seed tube and a specified rate of seed is allowed to enter a tube where after pressurized air forces the seed through the tube into a manifold. The manifold typically has a plurality of seed tubes extending from an upper portion of the manifold that receive the seed from the manifold. The seeds are then projected through seed tubes and then emitted behind a disk opener into a furrow for planting.
Conventional air seeders do not provide an even distribution of seed for several reasons. First, because the seed tubes have differing lengths extending from the manifold, the seeds have differing amounts of travel and time to exit the seed tube into the furrow. This is especially noticeably when initially seeding because there is no seed initially within the seed tubes. Second, the random distribution of the seeds in the manifold into the seed tubes is never exact hence leading to some rows with more seed density than others. Third, conventional air seeders must be operating prior to movement of the tractor during the initial seeding to avoid skipping which can lead to wasted seed every time the conventional air seeder is started and stopped. Hence, there is a need for an air seeder that provides an even distribution of seeds within all rows of the planter.
Examples of air seeding devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,201 to Tweedale; U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,332 to McCallum; U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,509 to Hassan et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,841 to Powilleit; U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,746 to Ledermann et al which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Tweedale (U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,201) discloses a vacuum-type seed planter comprising a seed tank, a suction drum rotatably mounted on the planter, and a plurality of periphery in the suction drum so that the seeds are drawn against the drum openings and are carried over the apertures from the seed tank to the hollow centered drill.
McCallum (U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,332) discloses a positive pressure feed wheel for a planter having a plurality of radial fingers having a passage therethrough terminating in a seed pick-up port.
Hassan et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,509) discloses a vacuum drum planter for continuously metering seeds onto a seedbed and simultaneously pressing the seeds into the soil. Hassan et al teaches a drum adapted to be moved in rolling contact across the seedbed and which transports seeds on its peripheral wall from a hopper to the seed bed.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for evenly dispensing seed amongst a plurality of rows. Conventional air seeders do not provide an even distribution of seed amongst the seed rows which is desirable when planting.
In these respects, the air seeder singulation system according to the present invention substantially de;arts from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of evenly dispensing seed amongst a plurality of rows.